“As a Sikh and as the president of the Akali Dal, I will go by the dictum of the supreme body of the Sri Akal Takht Sahib,” Sukhbir said. (File photo)

The Shiromani Akali Dal will abide by the diktat of the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal body of Sikhs, on the issue of seeking support from the Dera Sacha Sauda in the Lok Sabha polls, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal Saturday said. Sukhbir also said that Behbal Kalan and Bargari sacrilege firing cases won’t be a poll issue in the parliamentary polls.

Advertising

“As a Sikh and as the president of the Akali Dal, I will go by the dictum of the supreme body of the Sri Akal Takht Sahib,” Sukhbir said.

The Akal Takht had ex-communicated the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda in an alleged blasphemy case of 2007.

On a query that the Akali Dal had sought the Dera’s support in 2017 Assembly polls despite the Akal Takht diktat, he said, “Not the SAD. Candidates from all parties, in their individual capacity, visited the Dera to seek support.”

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar had earlier declared that his party will not seek support from Dera Sacha Sauda followers.

A day after she was named SAD Lok Sabha candidate from Khadoor Sahib, Jagir Kaur had said, “Why would my party take support from any one who has ideological contradictions with Guru Granth Sahib? Party position on this can be only explained by party president Sukhbir Badal. But I can express my personal view and in my personal view, I will never take the support from Dera Sacha Sauda”.

Citing remarks made by former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, Jakhar had challenged Sukhbir to clarify his stand.